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Incorrect DHCP options are a common point of failure. Microsoft strongly advises against using DHCP options (Options 66 and 67) for PXE boot in an SCCM environment. These options can interfere with the native PXE process and cause mismatched boot file architecture issues (e.g., sending a UEFI boot file to a Legacy BIOS client).
By following the steps outlined in this article and using the additional resources provided, you should be able to resolve the "Unable to download PXE variable file. Exit code 14" error and get your SCCM deployment back on track.
One forum user discovered that their issue was caused by mismatched drivers: their SCCM boot image contained the driver, but the new computers required the Intel(R) Ethernet Connection (23) I219-LM driver. Once the correct version was added, the problem disappeared.
SCCM uses boundaries to associate clients with distribution points. If your PXE-enabled DP is not in the same boundary group as the subnet where the client resides (or the boundary group lacks a content-valid DP), the variable file download fails. unable to download pxe variable file. exit code 14 sccm
The boot image lacks the specific network interface card (NIC) driver for the machine being imaged, preventing it from obtaining an IP address or routing traffic.
Checked SMSTS.log for explicit 403, 401, or connection timeout errors.
To know exactly why the download failed, you need to look at the . In WinPE (after the error appears), press F8 . Navigate to X:\Windows\Temp\SMSTSLog\smsts.log . Look for lines involving DownloadVariables . Common indicators: Incorrect DHCP options are a common point of failure
to all distribution points.
If the client cannot download this file, it returns .
On the SCCM site server or distribution point, navigate to the SMS_CCM\Logs folder and open SMSPXE.log . This log records the server's side of the PXE communication. Search for the client's MAC address to see if the server is recognizing the request and identifying a valid task sequence. By following the steps outlined in this article
by injecting the latest network drivers for the affected model. STP (Spanning Tree Protocol) Delay : If the network switch has STP enabled without
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Next, he checks the permissions on the PXE variable file and ensures that the computer account (also known as the machine account) has read access to the file. He also verifies that the file is not corrupted and that the hash values match.